Semiconductor devices, including integrated circuits are stored in plastic component tubes to protect the devices, and particularly the leads to prevent damage such as bending and breaking. The tubes have been simple tubes in which the devices are inserted, and then a plug inserted into the end of the tube. More recent storage tubes have a platform extending through the center of the tube on which the body of the device is supported with the conductor leads on each side of the device separated by the platform. Each end of the tube has a resilient plug that is inserted into the tube to prevent the devices from falling out of the tube. In another embodiment, a pin is inserted in an opening in the end of the tube. The pin extends through the tube and prevents the devices from falling out of the tube. Examples of component tubes are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,417,842 and 5,569,149. An example of a pin extractor for component tubes is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,985.
In the manufacturing of circuit board assemblies, the placement of the circuit components is automated in that a component is fed from a tube feeder holding the components. A component feeder removes the components from a tube, one at a time, and moves them to a pick station where the component is moved by a picker device to the circuit board on which the component is to be mounted. Only one type of component can be handled by the component feeder at a time. To feed a different type of component, another type or size of tube feeder must be used.
In the loading component tubes, it is necessary that the tubes be in the correct orientation for the components to be loaded in to the component tube. After the tubes are loaded, the tubes must be properly oriented to unload the components from the tubes, and in the case where the component tubes are used in pick-feeders where the components are moved out of the tubes to a pick point the components must be in the proper orientation so that the components can be placed on a printed wiring board. Where the components tubes are automatically placed in the pick-feeder, the tubes have to be properly oriented so that the components tubes can dispense the components in a correct orientation.